US drilling rig count gains 11 units to 1,764

The US drilling rig count climbed 11 units during the week ended Feb. 1 with the total number of rotary rigs reaching 1,764, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 1,997 rigs working in the comparable week last year.

Of the rigs drilling offshore, 51 were in the Gulf of Mexico, unchanged from a week ago.

Rigs targeting natural gas fell by 6 units to 428. Rigs drilling for oil jumped by 17 units to 1,332. There were 4 rigs unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.

Rigs drilling directionally were reported at 183, up 2 units from a week ago and 34 fewer than the comparable week last year. The number of rigs drilling horizontally were also up, reaching 1,136, an increase of 9 units from last week. This compares with 1,174 rigs drilling horizontally in the comparable week a year ago.

Of the major oil and gas producing states, Texas was up 7 units to 826. Oklahoma reached 196, up 6 units. California and Alaska, at 34 and 9, respectively, were both up 3 units. North Dakota was up 2 units to 180. Four states were unchanged from a week ago: New Mexico, 79; Colorado, 55; Ohio, 28; and West Virginia, 24. Three states were down 1 rig from a week ago: Pennsylvania, 69; Wyoming, 47; and Arkansas, 16. Louisiana, at 106 this week, was down 3 units.

Canada’s rig count rose again this week, up 4 units to 625. This count includes 473 rigs drilling for oil and 152 units drilling for gas. The total was down 85 units from the 710 rigs working in the comparable week last year.